When Storms Arise...Where Do You Turn?

Last night, I was sound asleep, with not a mind-numbing care in the world! Then, there was a loud crack of thunder that rattled the windows in my bedroom, and I quickly awoke to the sound of thunderous rain and howling winds. I was totally caught by surprise, and though I knew rain was in the forecast, I was not expecting any violent thunderstorms….which got me to thinking about life in general.

We all like to think that we have some infallible plans for when storms begin to howl in our lives…we make contingency plans for such occurrences. If you lose your job, you have money in the bank, saved for such an occasion…at least you hope, until you’ve found another job. Or if unexpected sickness should befall you or a loved one, you have health insurance to help meet your financial obligations and keep you on your feet. But….try as we may, we can’t plan for every emergency that might come our way. In fact, sometimes a storm arises that we could not have forecast or prepared for in advance. So what do we do or where do we turn?

Scripture tells us to “SEEK THE LORD WHILE HE MAY BE FOUND” and I, as a follower of Christ, believe that He is with us ALL THE TIME; however, He seems to draw nearer to us when storm clouds begin to form, and we reach out to Him in prayer and by reading His Word. It is in these times that our need for Him is increased, especially if we have tried to weather the impending calamity of a storm on our own. Was our Savior not asleep on the boat with His disciples when they woke Him up and pleaded with Him to do something about their impending doom?  And after Jesus spoke to the winds and calmed the seas, Jesus said to them, “O ye of little faith?”

In the Old Testament, we read in Psalm 107:28-31, ^“Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble, and he saves them. He calms the storm and stills the waves. What a blessing is that stillness as he brings them safely into harbor!  Oh, that these men would praise the Lord for his loving-kindness and for all of his wonderful deeds!” (TLB)  

Maybe today, you find yourself in such a situation. Despite all your best attempts to be prepared for all situations and any impending storms…YOU HAVE BEEN OVERWHELMED by the waves and the winds, and you need to find a peace and a calm….and the safe harbor you so desperately long to call HOME. If that is you, then let go of the helm;  turn it over to the Master of the Sea who will guide you to where He wants you to be…SAFE AND AT HOME WITH YOUR SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST. For He alone can bring about the calm that you need and the peace that you will find in Him. Who else but the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE can speak to the storm and bring about the calm that you long to have in your life….YES, STORMS WILL COME AND  YOU WILL HAVE ALL YOU NEED TO WEATHER ANY STORM…  WHEN YOU CALL ON JESUS!

 

Living in the calm….prepared for any storm,

WPQ

 

Poem for the day….

When the storms of life beset you
And the gale winds begin to blow
Just turn your ship into the storm
And trust in the ONE you know....
 
With Jesus at your helm of life
No matter the stormy sea;
He will steer you safely home
To His peace and harmony.
 
And once again on solid ground
His praise your lips will sing;
In wondrous hallelujahs
To Christ, your Lord and King!
 
September ©2017

 

LIVING A LIFESTYLE OF WORSHIP & PRAISE

 So, let's bring our study of PREPARING FOR ETERNITY...WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS? to a close with this blog as we take a closer examination of Peter's last verses regarding how we are to be living. He says in verse 8, "If all these things are in you and growing, you will never fail to be useful to God. You will produce the kind of fruit that should come from your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Easy to Read)

And isn't that our purpose on this earth....to be useful to God as we live and produce fruit...as we seek to tell others about Jesus and His sacrifice for us, as we look forward to spending eternity with Him. And all that is ENTIRELY POSSIBLE, if we learn more about who Jesus is, and as we walk with Him in our daily lives, making EVERY effort to be more like Him (godliness) and to show the love of God to those who are living life on their own terms; totally and selfishly without regard for God's great love and sacrifice. I mean, if we can somehow earn our way into God's PERFECT Heaven; then what was the cross for and why did Jesus come to earth just so He could die the most horrible death possible? 

Peter goes on to say in verse 9, "But those who don’t grow in these blessings are blind. They cannot see clearly what they have. They have forgotten that they were cleansed from their past sins. Yes, we will miss the blessings that God has stored up for us both here on earth as well as in Heaven if we fail to worship Him for all He has done for us...both now and in eternity to come. 

Imagine, if you will, you are in a upcoming dramatic play...what is your first act of getting ready to perform the play...LEARN YOUR LINES, THEN RUN THEM WITH SOMEONE ELSE; THEN PRACTICE YOUR BLOCKING ON STAGE, THEN THE DRESS REHERSAL..NOW YOU ARE READY FOR OPENING NIGHT.

The same is true for your preparation for Heaven....first you picture WORSHIP and then you PRACTICE WORSHIP as laid out in Psalm 119:164, which reads, "Seven times a day and all day long do I praise You because of Your righteous decrees." (AMPC) Yes, the more we visualize our acts of worship, the more we are prepared to practice our acts of worship and receive the blessings that God has ALREADY PREPARED FOR US....He is just waiting for us to do our part so that He may do His part!!!! 

In fact, if you will closely examine the last verses of this Scripture passage in verse 10 & 11, you will find seven blessings that are provided to us as we use the tools we have in our toolbox to do God's work and to worship Him in true honor and praise for all HE HAS DONE AND ALL THAT HE WILL DO TO COME...THEY ARE,

GODLY MATURITY

GROWING PRODUCTIVITY

GREATER CLARITY

GRATEFUL MEMORY

GENUINE STABILITY

GUARANTEED SECURITY

and probably the most important blessing of all....

GLORIOUS ETERNITY!!!!

So, let's crack open our toolbox, knowing we have EVERYTHING WE NEED TO LIVE A SUCCESSFUL AND GLORIOUS LIFE FOR OUR HEAVENLY FATHER....AS WE DO THE GOOD DEEDS SET BEFORE US AND HE RECEIVES THE GLORY, HONOR AND PRAISE HE IS DUE!!!

WORKING FOR JESUS...WAITING ON HEAVEN'S REWARD,

WPQ

Brotherly Affection Gives Way to Agape LOVE

So as we as we wrap up our study of PREPARING FOR ETERNITY, the apostle Peter gives us our last two tools for use in building our toolbox for our earthly gain and our heavenly work that prepares us for our upcoming job titles in God's Heavenly Kingdom. The first is Brotherly Affection; a sincere and active love for our brothers and sisters in Christ! I mean, if we cannot show affection, love and a sincere desire to know and grow with those of our kindred Spirit, how can we ever be expected to show the LOVE of GOD for those still lost in a world of sin and despair? THE SIMPLE ANSWER...WE CAN'T!!!!

In fact, Peter tells again in his first letter, 1 Peter 1:22, which reads, "Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart." ..Or we read in Romans 12:9-10, "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Out do one another in showing honor."  In fact, there is no better way to show true brotherly affection for each other than to show respect for those members of the faith who may or may not agree with you in all things; but who are honestly and eagerly seeking to know Jesus more intimately as they continue their walk with Him and grow to show more brotherly affection to others in the Christian faith. 

It is here that Peter tackles the last instrument of use for us all as sojourners in this world...the gift of AGAPE LOVE...God's unselfish love that knows no boundaries and takes us from our comfort zones as we seek to live out the Great Commission given to us by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus has called us to make disciples, but His first command is to "go into all the world"...to GO so that we may SHOW...to show and to demonstrate the true love of the Father, " that whoever would believe that Jesus is the Son of God; that He bled and died on Calvary for our sins; that He was buried in a borrowed tomb, but yet, rose again on the third day...FOR THE ONE THAT HAS SUCH A FAITH HAS FORGIVENESS AND AN ETERNAL HOME WITH THE FATHER AND HIS SON, IN A DAY THAT IS COMING FOR ALL THE CHILDREN OF GOD...that man or woman or child is an extension of the AGAPE LOVE OF GOD...and will one day reign with all of Heaven and with those who belong to the family of  GOD....HALLELUJAH AND AMEN!!!!

And in conclusion, Peter further instructs us in verses 8-11 of 2 Peter 1, when he writes...If all these things are in you and growing, you will never fail to be useful to God. You will produce the kind of fruit that should come from your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who don’t grow in these blessings are blind. They cannot see clearly what they have. They have forgotten that they were cleansed from their past sins. My brothers and sisters, God called you and chose you to be His. Do your best to live in a way that shows you really are God’s called and chosen people. If you do all this, you will never fall. And you will be given a very great welcome into the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, a kingdom that never ends!!! (Easy to Read Bible)

And to do all of these things, God has given you EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO LIVE FOR HIM...

HOWEVER, ALL THIS COMES TO FRUITION ONLY WHEN YOU BEGIN TO LIVE A LIFESTYLE OF WORSHIP AND PRAISE....the last requirement for you to be ALL that God meant for you to be on this earth as you prepare for ALL THAT HE HAS IN STORE FOR YOU IN HIS KINGDOM TO COME...see you again with the rest of God's plan in PREPARING YOU FOR ETERNITY!!!

FILLED MY TOOLBOX...READY TO WORK FOR THE LORD,

WPQ

BUILDING OUR TOOLBOX…READY FOR USE

As we continue in our series of the study of 2Peter 1-11, we find Peter extolling us to add these tools to our growing toolbox…and this one may be hard to use on a regular basis; BUT ONE THAT WILL BE A DIFFERENCE MAKER…IT IS THE TOOL KNOWN AS SELF CONTROL…NOT SELFISH CONTROL!

You see, these tools I just mentioned have similar nomenclatures, but are used in TOTALLY DIFFERENT WAYS. First, Self Control, pulls in the reins of how we interact with those we may know and love…OUR FAMILY. When we use self-control in dealing with our family, we make our decisions and have our interactions with regard to what is best for our mom, dad, or other siblings…we want what they want, if in is good for them as well as for us. Do we hog the bathroom as we get ready for the new day…or do we make it a point to get in and out so that others have time for doing what they need to do to get ready for school or work? Do we look for opportunities to help around the house…or do we leave a mess and just walk away, dirty dishes in the sink and food left on the kitchen counters?

You see, the opposite of self-control is SELFISH control…a time when we make it ALL ABOUT WHAT WE WANT OR NEED, WITH LITTLE, IF ANY REGARD FOR OUR FAMILY OR OTHERS WITH WHOM WE INTERACT? God’s Word has plenty to say regarding self-control, but one of my favorite's follows: “Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.” Proverbs 25:28 (NIV)  

So, which tool will you be packing in your toolbox? SELF- CONTROL OR ITS EVIL LOOK ALIKE….SELFISH CONTROL?  IT’S  YOUR CHOICE!!!

The next tool Peter tells us to add is the tool known as STEADFAST…which means to us as believers….UNWAVERING FAITH, PERSEVERANCE TO ENDURE HARDSHIPS WITH A RESOLUTE HEART AND THE ABILITY TO STAND FIRM IN OUR FAITH THROUGH OUR GODLY ACTIONS; especially as we commit ourselves to doing God’s will when LIFE seems to overwhelm us and seeks  to pull us away from being obedient to our Father. The apostle Paul shares this verse with us from Philippians 4:1, which reads, “Therefore, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord, my beloved. So, if you are going to call yourself a true believer in Christ, the tool of STEADFASTNESS will constantly be at use in your walk with Christ!

As we continue to walk with our Lord, Peter extols us to add a few more tools to our toolbox of FAITH as we combat the wiles of the devil as he seeks to devour those who would try to live life on their own terms. And our next tool is one that I feel many Christians fail to use properly…it is the tool known as GODLINESS!

And how might one describe GODLINESS? It is what a believer seeks to do as one aligns their thoughts, actions, feelings and interactions with the world, to display an inward peace by imitating our Lord, Jesus Christ. IN SHORT, OUR ACTIONS REFLECT THE CHARATERISTICS OF GOD….WHAT WOULD JESUS DO? Paul, in his teachings to young Timothy says in Philippians 4:8, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”

But, we must be careful that our desire to be a godly Christian does not come off as an affront to others that see our attitude as “holier than thou” or that might give us a lofty perch that allows us to look down on others who might be struggling in their walk with Jesus. So be GODLY in all you say and do…not GRUMPY AND GROUCHY THAT OTHERS ARE NOT AS GODLY AS YOU BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BE. So, how’s your toolbox shaping up; and more importantly, are you acquiring these tools…and if you are, HOW ARE YOU USING THEM FOR YOUR GOOD AND GOD’S GLORY?

Come back tomorrow as we add our last tools and examine our need to live a LIFESTYLE OF WORSHIP…BOTH NOW ON EARTH, AS WELL AS IN OUR PREPARATION FOR HEAVEN….

LOADING UP MY TOOLBOX….READY TO WORK FOR THE KINGDOM,

WPQ

AND OUR NEXT TOOLS ARE....

As the apostle Peter begins to share with us in his second book, we find that he behooves us to start adding "tools" to our toolbox. As we read in the next verse of 2 Peter1:5, it says,  For this very reason, applying your diligence to the divine promises, make every effort in exercising your faith to develop moral excellence, and in moral excellence, knowledge (insight, understanding).

We see here that clearly our next tool is moral excellence or in the vernacular of years ago…VIRTURE! So, we must ask ourselves; what is virtue and how do we attain it? For believers in Christ, virtue is best defined in our ability to actively pursue God’s will and display His character in ALL THINGS. In essence, MORAL EXCELLENCE or VIRTURE occurs by living out our faith in all of life, even when it is difficult, in order to bring God, the GLORY He is due!!

We only have to look in God’s Word to find examples of such virtuous, morally excellent followers of the one true God. Examples like Joseph, King David, Ruth, Esther, Daniel, Andrew, or Simon Peter…but one of my favorites; Joseph, the husband of Mary and the earthly father of Jesus. Yes, the Holy Scriptures are resplendent with a myriad of examples of those who pursued the will of God with their entire beings.

Our next tool Peter encourages us to add to our “toolbox” for godly living is… KNOWLEDGE….and here we must differentiate between the kinds of knowledge that will draw us closer to God.

First, we have SECULAR knowledge….the knowledge of the ways, the ins and outs, the ebbs and flows of this secular, but universal world. This knowledge allows us to move throughout our world with the understandings of how God uses this world of His Creation to provide His greatest creation to exist and flourish as He provides us the very essences of life on this planet we call, HOME!

Second, and far more importantly, is our SPIRITUAL knowledge that allows us to ascertain the Divine Truths, Personal Faith, Scriptural Insights and Spiritual Experiences that bring us into a close and more intimate walk with our Heavenly Father. This Spiritual knowledge gives us a sense of meaning and purpose (Jeremiah 29:11); it allows us to gain an inner peace and feelings of contentment (Phil. 4:11-13); it provides us with better coping strategies and skills (Hebrew 12:5-8); and probably, most importantly for our interactive lives, the Spiritual Knowledge that increases our compassion and empathetic feelings toward others (Matt.9:36 & 14:14).

Yes, our journey to Heaven will be fraught with many speedbumps, brick walls and insurmountable obstacles that will impend our travels; however, if we use our willingness to remain seekers and does of moral excellence, and spend our time in lofty pursuits to gain more and more spiritual knowledge of the will and way of our Father, we will be ready for what He is preparing for us in our celestial HOME…the home that is known as THE KINGDOM OF GOD!!!

 

PREPPING FOR THE KINGDOM,

WPQ

The First Tool for Our Toolbox….DILIGENCE!

When we left my last post, we had taken a closer look at the idea of making plans for our future work in Heaven; particularly, using the talents, skills and passions of our life on earth, as well as, what we might best be suited to do as we work for Jesus in Heaven. But, before we get to our work in Heaven, we must make sure we have properly prepared our skills while working for Christ on earth…and to do that as we should, we have to exercise the first tool that the apostle Peter tells us to add to our toolbox of things we will need to use to make sure we are prepared for our work in Heaven.

AND THAT FIRST TOOL IS ….DILIGNECE. Peter writes about it in our study chapter of 2 Peter chapter one, verses 4 & 5, which read,   For by these He has bestowed on us His precious and magnificent promises [of inexpressible value], so that by them you may escape from the immoral freedom that is in the world because of disreputable desire, and become sharers of the divine nature. ⁵ For this very reason, applying your diligence [to the divine promises, make every effort] in [exercising] your faith to_________________! (We’ll fill in this blank later on in our further discussions).

Here, Peter is reminding us that we have been given all we need to prepare us for successful living for Christ here on earth, but also in Heaven…IF WE REMAIN DILIGENT IN OUR USE OF THE TOOLS WE WILL BE ADDING TO OUR TOOLBOX.

But for now, why is Diligence so important for us in this life? For one, the devil has a way of entering our lives at the worst possible times and causing us to falter in our faith and our walk with and for Christ. For example, you just lost your job; or gotten a bad diagnosis from the doctor; or lost a loved one in a tragic accident or to a terminal disease…and before you realize that your anger with God has pushed Him far away from where He longs to be…and where you need for Him to be…your anger has broken your fellowship and hindered your relationship with your Heavenly Father.

While I was in the Navy, stationed aboard a WW11 destroyer, I stood many a night watch in the midship’s guard hut,  either from  8 until midnight or from midnight until 4 am….standing for those 4 hours, looking across the dock for anything that might be suspicious or preparing to cause harm to me and my shipmates…in precise words….I WAS STANDING WATCH WITH THE OFFICER OF THE DECK AND ONE OTHER OF MY SHIPMATES. Now truth be told, if anyone meant to do me and my 280 plus shipmates harm, the 45 I carried at me side would only last for twelve shots; however, that would have truly sounded as a warning to all those aboard that something of harm was coming our way….and THAT TYPE OF DILIGENCE MIGHT JUST SERVE AS THE KEY TO STOPPING THE EVIL THREAT THAT STOOD BEFORE US,READY TO DO US HARM.

And that’s the kind of diligence that Peter is talking about in this chapter. You see we have everything we need to protect us from our enemy and all that we need to be holy and righteous before our loving Father; however, if we are not diligent in looking after our hearts, minds and most importantly, our souls, THE WAR MAY BE LOST BEFORE THE FIRST BATTLE HAS BEEN WAGED!!!

Unfortunately, we live at a time when the enemy of DILIGENCE is so prevalent in our society, and it is always working to make us less than effective in our walk with Christ…and what is that demon of our demise…DISTRACTIONS. Yes, if we are not careful to stay attentive, alert and using our acumen of diligence, we will be caught unaware of the wiles of that beast, who roams this world, seeking whom he might devour.

Certainly,  we have all been told, in no uncertain terms, to…KEEP THE MAIN THING, THE MAIN THING…and that is solid advice; but how do we do just that? I recommend the following three “Ds” to keep you on the road to self-awareness and disciplined in your walk with Christ.

First, of course, DILIGENCE….GUARD YOUR HEART AND TAKE CAPTIVE YOUR THOUGHTS!

Second,  DETERMINE, BEFOREHAND, TO STAY THE COURSE AND STAND WATCH, NO MATTER THE DISTRACTIONS.

Third, DECIVISE ACTION IN ALL YOUR DECISIONS; THEREFIORE, YOU ARE NEVER A DOUBLE-MINDED, UNSTABLE, RESTLESS PERSON, TOSSED ABOUT ON STORMY SEAS! (See James 1:8)

Yes, we have everything we need, but be sure to come back later this week to see what other tools belong in your toolbox….TOOLS THAT YOU WILL NEED, BOTH NOW AND IN THE ETERNITY THAT AWAITS ALL WHO BELIEVE…FINALLY AT HOME, WITH GLORIOUS WORK STILL TO BE DONE!!!

Loading up my toolbox…remaining diligent in all things of the Lord,

WPQ

Our Unfolding Plan for Heaven....Step One!

I began this series of the following blogs with this thought...ARE YOU PREPARING FOR ETERNITY? If so, WHAT R UR PLANS? It is a study of 2 Peter 1: 3-11 which reads from the Amplified Bible...

3 For His divine power has bestowed on us [absolutely] everything necessary for [a dynamic spiritual] life and godliness, through [a]true and personal knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has bestowed on us His precious and magnificent promises [of inexpressible value], so that by them you may escape from the immoral freedom that is in the world because of disreputable desire, and become sharers of the divine nature. 5 For this very reason, applying your diligence [to the divine promises, make every effort] in [exercising] your faith to....

And this is our first stepping stone for our study for the next four or five blog posts. So let's begin!

The apostle Peter is telling us as followers of Christ that we have EVERYTHING WE NEED to live for Christ in the crooked and decrepit world....and in so doing, we are making our plans for Heaven as we live out our lives for Christ each day. It is in that living that God works His will and His way for both our earthly service now; but also, for our Heavenly service to come. And I believe that will become much clearer as we travel this road of study in our next several blog post....so please come back over the next few days or so to see how this might be beneficial to you as you live for Christ in this world...and quite possibly the next?

So, what is the first admonition of Peter....to approach our dynamic spiritual life with great DILIGENCE as we make every effort to exercise and grow our faith by applying the "tools" that God has given us to use in our efforts to live, to be and to love like Christ. But, how is that affected by planning and what does God's Word say regarding this exercise we call, PLANNING?

 Our first hint comes from Proverbs 21:5, that reads: "The plans of the diligent certainly lead to profit, but anyone who is reckless certainly becomes poor." (CSB) or "A person’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps." (Proverbs 16:9 CSB); however, one of my favorite's comes from James 4:13-15 where he warns us of making boastful plans....Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into this city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit,” whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? It is just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and make plans to do this or that. (Modern English Version)But the one who spoke definitively regarding making plans was Jesus himself, in Sermon on the Mount, where He told His ever-growing throng of followers in Matthew 6:33-34, But more than anything else, put God's work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well. Don't worry about (your plans for) tomorrow. Your plans (will be taken care of by following God's will.) Believe me when I say, you will have enough to worry about today. (My edification of the Contemporary Version Bible)

So in closing this first blog today regarding making plans, both for now and for the Kingdom to come, know this; JESUS HAS THIS UNDER HIS CONTROL....and if we change the word "food" and replace it with the word "plans" in John 6:27, it would read as follows:

 Don’t work for the plans that perish but for the plans that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set his seal of approval on him.”

I hope you will continue this journey with me as we make our eternal plans for the jobs we would most like to do when we are called HOME to be with Jesus....there, where we will serve Him in our Heavenly domain, doing the work set before us and as ALWAYS, FOR OUR GOOD AND GOD'S GLORY!!!

See You Tomorrow,

WPQ